From our Quaker founding fathers to Jimmy Stewart in The Philadelphia Story, black has been the stylish standard for the City of Brotherly Love’s men for generations. This year it makes a bold reappearance as the must-have shade in timepieces, mixed with a distinctive pop of color on the dial. “We are seeing Philadelphia men trending toward these sleek, refined watches, making the investment in a fine timepiece—particularly when in quintessential black,” says Susy Korb, chief marketing officer at Tourneau. This renewed interest in black watches comes from technological processes that enable companies to create steel in a black finish for the case. Among those processes are physical vapor deposition (PVD), ion plating, and diamond-like carbon (DLC), which have reinvigorated a true classic and allowed timepieces to have both the refined urbanity of driving an Aston Martin with the top down and the sporty savoir faire of playing a round of croquet.
This Speed Command Chronograph watch from Blancpain ($19,400) offers a flyback chronograph function, as well as date and small seconds hands, a tachometer, and a two-way rotating bezel. The mechanical self-winding movement consists of 308 parts. The dial is carbon fiber. Tourneau, King of Prussia Mall, 610-491- 8801
This Concord C1 World Timer Night Race ($17,900) is crafted in black DLC-treated stainless steel and features a multilayered black engine-turned dial that displays the date and second time zone in a fire-red arc. Tourneau, King of Prussia Mall, 610-491-8801
From TW Steel, this Cool Black Color 50mm watch ($675) is crafted in black PVD steel and offers chronograph functions, date indications, and a tachymeter bezel. Nordstrom, King of Prussia Mall, 610-265-6111
